Not A Temporary Love | Finley & Harlyn #1

Chapter 8

The house is dark when I get home, but Max's door is open. I knock softly on it before sticking my head in.

"Oh hey, Harlyn," Max greets, sitting up on his bed, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I say, but Max shakes his head.

"Yeah, he just got home from work," he says into the phone. "It's Finley."

"Oh. Hi Finley!" I say, projecting my voice a little.

"He says hi," Max says. He listens for a long moment before looking back at me. "He says hello and says to tell you that he can't believe that Queen Victoria is Anastasia's great grandmother and was the reason that Anastasia's brother had hemophilia. Wait what?" His eyes widen. "Incest? Gross." I laugh.

"Tell him I've been enjoying his random Victoria facts," I say.

"You heard that?" He listens again and laughs. "I'll tell him. Text me if you need anything else, ok?" He pauses. "Ok. Bye." He tosses his phone to the foot of his bed. "He says he's glad he can entertain you."

I laugh, but Max bites his lip. "Everything ok?" I ask.

He looks up at me. "Hm? Oh, yeah. All good." He swings his legs over the side of his bed. "So, he's been texting you a lot?"

I sink into his desk chair. "Yeah. Just random stuff. Mostly about Queen Victoria. A little about your cathedral tour today." Max hums, staring at me intently. "What?"

"Nothing. So." He leans his elbows on his knees. "You got any girls in your life?"

I cough out a laugh. That was not what I was expecting. "Erm. No. No."

"What about that girl from Friday night that Elly pointed out?"

"Francesca? She was in a study group with me last term. Super smart. Super cute. Super sweet." Max gives me a "go on" gesture with his hands. "I dunno. The end of last term was really stressful. My coursework was really heavy. I was taking a lot of shifts at work. I told you about the student who was here before you. It was a lot. And just...I dunno. I never acted on it. I also just don't like her as much as I did last term. Crushes, you know?"

Max stares at me. "Yeah. I guess that makes sense. Anyone else catching your eye?" I frown at him.

"Not that I know of." I lean toward him. "Should there be?"

"No. Not unless you want. Just wondering." He lays back down on his bed. "How was work?"

We chat for a bit, and then I excuse myself to take a shower. When I'm finally laying in my bed, I take out my phone. Finley has seemed fine texting me today, but Max looked worried.

Me:
Max seemed a bit worried about you. Everything good?

It takes a few minutes before he answers, and I can't help but wonder if he's being careful with his response.

Finley:
Yeah. Just a long day. Got a lot in my head.

Hm. Tactful. I decide not to press. For now.

Me:
Good. So. Anymore crazy things about Victoria you've discovered?

***

"So, then she says I'm always hogging the coffee pot. How does someone hog the coffee pot? We all use the same coffee. When I make coffee, anyone can drink the effing coffee. It's ridiculous." Elly takes her first breath in almost five minutes.

"I don't know what to tell you, El," I say. "People are annoying."

"There's annoying and there's just downright wrong, Harlyn," she says, her face stubborn and hard. "Why do I get all the weird ones?"